1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for sending messages in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for a custom voice messaging system using legacy mail systems.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet, also referred to as an “internetwork”, is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols used by the receiving network (with packets if necessary). When capitalized, the term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols.
The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of information, entertainment, and communications. Many businesses are creating Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts, informing consumers of the products or services offered by the business or providing other information seeking to engender brand loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are also employing Internet sites for informational purposes, particularly agencies which must interact with virtually all segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and secretaries of state. Providing informational guides and/or searchable databases of online public records may reduce operating costs. Further, the Internet is becoming increasingly popular as a medium for commercial transactions.
In addition to being a source of information, the Internet also provides a communications medium. The Internet has become the most popular computer network used by consumers and businesses to send and receive electronic mail, also referred to as “e-mail”. The Internet allows users to readily send and receive e-mail to and from computers around the world. Each user typically has a unique Internet e-mail address (e.g., steve@ibm.com). A user with an e-mail account and a computer capable of connecting to the Internet can easily send and receive e-mail over the network.
E-mail allows a person to quickly and easily send textual messages and other information, such as, for example, pictures, sound recordings, and formatted documents electronically to other e-mail users anywhere in the world. An e-mail user will typically create a message using an e-mail program running on a computer connected to a computer network through a modem. The message will include an e-mail “address” for the intended recipient. When the user has finished entering the message, the user may “send” the message to the intended recipient. The e-mail program then electronically transmits the message over the computer network. The recipient, using an e-mail program running on the recipient's computer, can then “receive” the message.
In current electronic mail systems, primary support is provided for content in the form of text with additional support being present for imbedding other types of content, such as audio or voice. Currently, if a user creates a voice message to be sent through e-mail, neither the process of creating the e-mail nor receiving the e-mail is optimized for the particular type of content being sent or received. Currently available e-mail systems treat all e-mail as a single type of document, which may or may not have attachments containing other types of content. Using currently available e-mail systems, the viewing of other types of content requires additional steps, increasing the complexity involved in viewing non-text content.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for sending messages through an e-mail system.